Illegal immigrant document scam uncovered on Spain’s Costa Almeria after 58 people give the same address

PROFITABE: The property owner charged immigrants between €150 and €300 for using his address. CREDIT: Policia Nacional Almeria

POLICE in El Ejido made three arrests and are investigating tens of others after uncovering a scam to get illegal immigrants necessary documents for residency applications.
Working in collaboration with the Almeria Immigration Office and Adra Council, investigators discovered that the same address featured on no less than 58 applications for residency and works authorisations on the grounds of social ties to the community.
The property owner is among those detained. Police said he had been charging immigrants between €150 and €300 for using his address.
Both he and the person trying to remain legally in Spain would go to Adra Town Hall to both sign a declaration falsely stating that the immigrant lived in the property and therefore allow them to be added to the municipal ‘padron,’ or register of residents.
The police identified 52 Moroccans and six Senegalese who looked to have gone down this particular illegal route to get registration of residency papers, which were subsequently included among the documentation they presented at the Immigration Office.
Police said the investigation has not yet concluded and they have not ruled out further arrests.

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Cathy Elelman

Cathy Elelman is the local writer for the Costa de Almeria edition of the Euro Weekly News.

Based in Mojacar for the last 21 years, Cathy is very much part of the local community and is always well and truly up on all the latest news and events going on in this region of Spain.

Her top goals are to do the best job she can informing the local English-speaking community, visitors to the area and the wider world about about the news in Almeria, to learn something new every day, and to embrace very new challenge this fast-changing world brings her way.

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments